Self-Acceptance (Day 6 of 21 Days of Greatness)

Self-Acceptance: The achievement of your greatness and genuine happiness will never be possible until you gain some degree of self-acceptance. The most miserable and tortured people in the world are those who are continually straining and striving to convince themselves and others that they are something other than what they basically are. And there is no relief and satisfaction like that that comes when one finally gives up the shams and pretenses and is willing to be him/herself.

Changing your self-image does not mean changing “yourself””, or improving yourself, but changing your own mental picture, your own estimation, conception, and realization of that self. You are what you are NOW. You “are somebody”, not because you’ve make a lot of money, drive the latest car, or wear the latest clothing brands – but because God created you in his own image. Most of you are better, wiser, stronger, more competent-NOW than you realize. Whether you have the material things are not, you “are somebody.”

Self acceptance means accepting and coming to terms with ourselves now, just as we are, with all our faults, weaknesses, shortcomings, errors, as well as our assets and strength. Self-acceptance is easier, however, if we realize that these negative belong to us- they are not us. Many people shy away from healthy self-acceptance because they insist upon identifying themselves with their mistakes. You have made a mistake, that doesn’t mean you are that mistake. You may not be expressing yourself properly and fully, but this does not mean you yourself are “no good.” We must recognize our mistakes and shortcomings before we correct them. The first step toward acquiring knowledge is recognition of those areas where we are ignorant. The first step towards becoming stronger is the recognition that we are weak.

As we continue down our journey to our greatness, we must achieve the goal of ideal self acceptance. We must use the negative feed-back data to correct our course, as in any goal striving situation.